Found FBA-2

The Found FBA-2 is an all-metal development of the company's first design, the Found FBA-1. The prototype first flew on 11 August 1960. It is a high-wing monoplane with a fixed tricycle undercarriage. The production version was to be the Found FBA-2B but the aircraft was produced with a conventional tail-wheel landing gear as the Found FBA-2C. The first production FBA-2C first flew on 9 May 1962. It is powered by an Avco Lycoming O-540-A1D engine and had a slightly longer cabin and enlarged cabin doors than the prototype. Originally, float or ski landing gear was available through third parties, and later became a factory option. Production ended in 1965 to concentrate on building the newer and larger Centennial 100. Thirty-four had been built.{{cite web|url = http://www.foundair.com/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=6|title = Found Aircraft - A Brief History|access-date = 2008-02-20|last = Found Aircraft Development|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080608094109/http://www.foundair.com/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=6|archive-date = 8 June 2008}}

In 1996 the design was acquired by Found Aircraft Development who developed an improved model the FBA-2C2 Bush Hawk-XP. This model was certified by Transport Canada in March, 1999 and by the Federal Aviation Administration in March, 2000. This version was manufactured between 2000-2007, after which it was replaced by a new version of the same basic airframe designated the Expedition E350 and the Expedition E350XC.

File:Expedition-E350.jpg

The E350 is an evolutionary development of the basic FBA-2 aimed at the personal use market. The Expedition E350 was FAA type certified in December 2008. The aircraft can be equipped with four or five seats and has a full fuel payload in excess of 900 pounds. It has a range of {{convert|700|nmi|km|0|abbr=on}} at a cruise speed of {{convert|156|kn|km/h|0|abbr=on}} and is powered by a Lycoming IO-580 powerplant producing {{convert|315|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}}. The E350 has been designed with rugged landing gear for operating from unprepared surfaces and has STOL performance.{{cite web|url = http://www.expeditionaircraft.com|title = Expedition Aircraft|access-date = 2009-01-01|last = Expedition Aircraft|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090531035947/http://www.expeditionaircraft.com/|archive-date = 31 May 2009}}{{cite web|url = http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/CanadasExpeditionE350GetsFAAOK_199492-1.html|title = Canada's Expedition E350 Gets FAA OK |access-date = 2008-12-31|last =Grady|first = Mary|date=December 2008}}

Pacific Aerospace acquired the E-350 program in early 2016 from Found Aircraft. In September 2016, the E-350 Expedition tooling was shipped to its Hamilton, New Zealand plant. Pacific Aerospace planned to relaunch production of the five-seat type in the first half of 2017, but this date was not achieved.{{update-inline|date=November 2024}} It is also planned to produce the E-350 in its joint venture plant in China with Beijing General Aviation Company. The joint venture will be known as Beijing Pan-Pacific Aerospace Technology.{{cite web|url = https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/pacific-aerospaces-chinese-venture-ready-for-21-oct-430476/|title=Pacific Aerospace's Chinese venture ready for 21 October inauguration|last=Sarsfield|first=Kate|work=Flight Global|access-date = 2016-10-15}}{{cite web|url = http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Found-Expedition-To-Resume-Production-228030-1.html?omhide=true|title = Found Expedition To Resume Production|access-date = 14 November 2016|last = Niles|first = Russ|work=AVweb|date = 13 November 2016}}{{cite web|url = https://www.aerospace.co.nz/dmnews/pacific-aerospace-to-build-the-e-350-expedition|title = Pacific Aerospace: Pacific Aerospace to Build the E-350 Expedition|access-date = 21 February 2019|author=Pacific Aerospace|work = www.aerospace.co.nz|date = 1 November 2016}}

;FBA-2

:Prototype, one built.

;FBA-2C

:Initial production variant, 26 built.

;FBA-2C1 Bush Hawk 300

:Improved variant with a 300hp Lycoming IO-540L, one built.

;FBA-2C1 Bush Hawk XP

:Production variant of the Bush Hawk 300, 31 built.

;FBA-2C2 Bush Hawk 300XP

:Minor changes, 6 built.

;FBA-2C3 Expedition E350

:Tricycle landing gear first flown in 2006, 3 built.

;FBA-2C4 Expedition E350XC

:Tail-wheel, one built.

;FBA-2D

:Proposed variant powered by a 290hp Lycoming engine, not built.

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965-66 Taylor 1965, pp. 23–24.

|prime units?=imp

|genhide=

|crew=1

|capacity=4 passengers

|length m=

|length ft=26

|length in=5

|span m=

|span ft=36

|span in=0

|height m=

|height ft=8

|height in=4

|wing area sqm=

|wing area sqft=180

|empty weight kg=

|empty weight lb=1550

|gross weight kg=

|max takeoff weight lb=2950

|fuel capacity={{convert|56|impgal|USgal L|abbr=on}}

|eng1 number=1

|eng1 name=Avco Lycoming O-540-A1D

|eng1 type=air-cooled flat-six engine

|eng1 kw=

|eng1 hp=250

|prop blade number=2

|prop name=Hartzell constant-speed

|prop dia m=

|prop dia ft=7

|prop dia in=4

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=

|max speed mph=147

|max speed kts=

|max speed note=at sea level

|cruise speed kmh=

|cruise speed mph=129

|cruise speed note=at {{convert|5000|ft|m|abbr=on}} (econ cruise, 60% power)

|stall speed mph=48

|stall speed note=(power off, 35 degree flaps)

|range km=

|range miles=610

|range nmi=

|ceiling m=

|ceiling ft=16000

|climb rate ms=

|climb rate ftmin=1100

|more performance=

|avionics=

}}

{{Reflist}}

{{commonscat}}

• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). London: Orbis Publishing.
• {{cite book|last=Taylor|first=John W. R.|author-link=John W. R. Taylor |title= Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965-66 |year=1965 |publisher=Samson Low, Marston |location= London}}

{{Found Aircraft}}

{{Pacific Aerospace aircraft}}

{{Aircraft manufactured in Canada}}

Category:1960s Canadian civil utility aircraft

Category:High-wing aircraft

Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft

Category:Aircraft first flown in 1960

FBA-2

E350

Category:Aircraft with fixed tricycle landing gear

Category:Single-engined piston aircraft